Virtually frustrated by lack of reform initiatives and absence of hard economic decisions by many a state, planning commission on Sunday said the slow pace of reforms was at times making the panel 'impatient'.
Sometimes situation makes me impatient why things are not moving faster, intended beneficiaries are not getting full benefit of schemes meant for them, Deputy chairman of Commission K C Pant told news persons in an interview. Underscoring the need for taking hard decisions that might not be populist, Pant said though there was an all round consensus on the reform agenda, the same had to be translated into action.
Declining to name the states which were lagging behind, the deputy chairman in a scathing attack on their finances said that in some cases the interest charges (due to excessive borrowings) coupled with hefty bills for salary and wages had overgrown total revenues. Ascribing the limitations of some states in taking hard economic decisions to 'political compulsions', he said, “There is a need for taking a whole series of steps most important advantage so far has been in acceptance of the necessity for action consensus has been built up.”
Pant also advised the Centre to take measures to create demand and increase public investment to revive the economy from the ongoing slowdown, while exuding confidence that agricultural sector would salvage the economy this year and lead to a good GDP growth. Bureau Report